Car-buffer



(No Model.)

0. BROWNING.

GAR BUFFER.

Pented Marafi, 1883.

. PETERS. Phmuam mr, Wamn w-L u c.

NITE STATES CLlNTON BROWNING, OF SHOUSETOlVN, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JAMES H. LINDSAY, TRUSTEE, OF ALLEGHENY CITY,

PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BUFFER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,665, dated March 6, 1883. Application filed July 17, 1882. (No model.)

I all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLINTON BROWNING, of Shousetown, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Gar-Buffers and Yielding Platforms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to bufi'ers and platforms 1o employed on railroad-cars for preventing the jarring and uneven movement of the cars, and forming platforms between the cars to afford a sure footing for passengers in passing from the platform of one car to that of the adjoin- T5 ing car. The usual yielding car-buffers are formed of bars, one on either side of the center of the car, mounted in springs, and having heads to bear against the buffers of the adjoining car, so that upon the stopping, back- 2 ing, or longitudinal motion of one car the pressure will come against these yielding buffers and prevent the sudden concussion and consequentjarring of the cars, and the buffers will bear against each other and by their fric- 2 5 tion prevent uneven lateral or vertical strain on the cars" by side motion or rocking, or when passing around curves. The yielding platforms have heretofore been employed to form a continuous platform between the cars, and

to act as buffers on the longitudinal motion of the cars, but have not been successfully constructed to hold the cars against the side or rocking motion; and the principal object of my invention is to provide a combined buffer and platform, which will not only form the continuous platform between the cars, but will act as a buffer both to the longitudinal motion and the side, rocking, or twisting motion to which the cars are subjected.

To this end it consists, first, in providing the car with a yielding buffer-platform having bearing-faces at or near the ends thereof, and a depression in the center between them, so that the frictional contact of the platforms will 5 be at the ends thereof, and they will, by this frictional action of the ends, hold the cars against the lateral, vertical, or rocking motion; second, in pivoting the yielding platform to the central pressure-bar close to its bearing- 0 face, and so enabling it, in following the motion of the cars on curves, to turn without causing any frictional movement across the face of the opposite platform; third, in the method of pivoting the platform to prevent heavy strain and wear upon the-pivotingpin; and, finally, in details of construction hereinafter specifically set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation, referring for that purpose to the accom panying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of two car-platforms,illustrating my invention. Fig.2 is a horizontal section on the lines or m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view, illustrating the movement of the buffer and platform; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the buffer-platform and bar.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

In the drawings, A represents the platform ofan ordinary passenger-car, having the usual transverse beam, B, extending along the end thereof; and (J represents my combined buffer and platform, supported in front of the said beam at the center thereof. The buffer-platform 0 of the combined buffer and platform is formed-of the bearing-plate (I and the horizontal plate 6, extending at right angles therefrom. This buffer-platform is pivoted to the buffer-barf by means of the flanges d, which extend out from the back of the bearing-plate d, the connecting-pivot g extending through these flanges and the head of the buft'ecbar. The bearing-face of the plate at is slightly recessed or hollowed out in the center, as at h, so as to form the bearing l'aces it"h at either end of the bearing-plate. The bufi'er-barfextends back through the transverse beam B and is supported underneath the car-platform by means of the spring/sand the resistance-plate m, rigidly secured between the longitudinal beams B of the car. The buffer-bar has a T- shaped head,f, which fitsbetwcen the flanges d of the buffer-plate, and has an oblong pivothole, at, extending through it for the pivot g, the hole being made oblong to allow the bufferplatform to swing or turn on the buffer-bar, as when the cars are running on curves, without bringing any great strain on the pivot,

and also to allow the buffer-platform to bear squarely against the face of the buffer-bar against one corner of the T-head and the pivot travels forward in its slot, so that, though pivoted in the center of the platform, it actually swings on the corners of the T-head and can thus swing in either direction without any motion across the face of the opposite buffer-platform. The oblong pivot-hole n is made sufiiciently long to allow of the swinging or reciprocating motion of the buHer-platform while the cars are running on curves without causing any strain on the pivot-pin. The transverse beam Bis mortised at the front for the reception of the flanges d and T-head f, and has a plate, 19, secured around this mortise, the sides of which support the buffer-platform againstside-pressureandtwistingstrain. The barf has a shonlder,f which presses against a washer, It, against which the ends of the spiral spring It rest, the bar extending through the spring and the resistance-plate m and bein g secured in place by a pin or nut, m.

Thehorizontal plate 6 of the bufier-platform may either extend over the car-platform or the platform may be slightly recessed for its reception, and a cover, 7', be secured above it, so that the plate 6 may slide under it, and all interference of the plate with the feet of persons on the platform be prevented. This cover 7' may extend the full width of the buffer-platform between and be held in place by the rails of the car-platform.

The operation of my combined buffer and yielding platform is as follows: When the car is not coupled the. buffer-platform is held out by the spring 70, and it is free to swing on the buffer-bar. When a coupling is made and the two buffer-heads come in contact, the springs yield to the pressure, and thus prevent the sudden j arring of the cars, and then hold the bufferplatforms of each car in contact, forming the continuous platform between them. It the cars are runningin astraight or approximately straight line, the butter-platforms are pressed 'back until they press directly against the flat face lof the buffer-bars; and if the cars are on a curve the buffer-platforms are pressed back against the corner of the T-head of the bufferbar, so that the jar is carried directly to the springs, and a strong buffer thus obtained. The bearing-plates d of the buffer-platforms come in contact and press against each other only at the bearing-faces h at the ends on account of the depressions in the center, so that allvfrietional contact is at the ends of the buffer-platform, instead of being at the center of the platforms or entirely across them, and a stronger frictional contact is for this reason obtained. On account of this depression hon platforms where the faces are in contact eutirely across, of the bearing-face-being worn off more at the ends than in the center, and thus rendering the platform incapable of holdin g against lateral or rocking strain. As this strong frictional contact is obtained at the bearing-faces at the ends of the buffer-platform, it acts in the same manner as the ordinary bufl'er arranged on bars at either of the couplings, holding against the lateral or side motion of the cars, the rocking or verticalmotion, and the twisting motion thereof, and thus prevents much of the jarring and shaking of the cars--a result not heretofore obtained in the yielding platforms. When the cars are running on a curve the buffer-platforms swing around on the buffer-bars, being held in contact by the springs and forming complete connection between the cars, and as they are pivoted close to the bearing-faces they turn in any direction without causing any fric--- tiona-l motion of thefaces of the platforms across each other, overcoming the objection to the platforms where they are pivoted at a distance from their bearing-faces, and they therefore hold to each other and prevent much of the lateral swinging of the cars when running on curves. The tendency to this frictional motion of the bearing-faces across each other is further prevented by the flat face and oblong pivot-holes of the buffer-bar. A substantially equal pressure of the bearing-faces when running on curves is also obtained, because the buffer-platforms are free to swing and conform to each other, and the pressure of the springs is exerted at one point at or near the center of the buffer-platforms. The buEer-platforms are held from side-pressure or twisting strain by the flanges d d fitting within the platep on the face of the transverse beam. The cover 1" prevents the horizontal plate of the bufferplatform from comin g in contact with the feet of persons on the car-platform as it travels back or forward or swings on the buffer-bar.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A combined car buffer and platform having bearing-faces at or near the ends thereof and depressed in the center between them, sub stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the buffer-platform and yielding pressure-bar, the pressure-bar being pivoted to the platform close to the bearing-face thereof, substantially as ,and for the purposes set forth.

3. In yielding car-platforms, the combination of the buffer-platform, central buffer-bar pivoted thereto, and spring mechanism around said bar for projecting the buffer-platform, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In yielding car-platforms, the combinati on of the buffer-bar f, having the oblon g pivothole g and buffer-platform pivoted to said bar through said pivot-hole, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In yielding car-platforms, the combinathe bearing-face there is no liability, as in I tion of the buffer-bar f, provided with the ob- 7. In yielding car-platforms, the combination of the buffer-platform c, bufi'er-bar f, pivoted thereto, spring mechanism for projecting the bufl'er-platt'orm, and the cover 0 on the car- 15 platform, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

CLINTON BROWNING.

Witnesses:

WILL G. LEE, H. O. FISH. 

